San Francisco diners are about to get an enlightening experience in the dark.

Next month through November, a series of pop-up dinners at The Center SF will invite locals looking for a novel experience to a vegetarian dinner and concert served and supported by a completely blind wait staff — all in pitch blackness.

The experience is part of the Blind Cafe, a Boulder-based arts nonprofit that travels internationally to deliver what it considers community and conscious-building exercises. The group maintains that hanging out and eating in the dark helps people build better relationships and social interactions by removing the distractions of "visual conditioning" and etiquette rules.

"It's all about awakening people's senses and empowering the blind to really be heard for the first time," said Brian Rocheleau, executive director of the Blind Cafe, who is moving to San Francisco to establish a local branch for the nonprofit. "For the waiters, the volunteers, the staff, audience and all of our clients, the real goal is to make everyone feel valued and cared for in an environment where all can contribute."

The two-hour dinner includes a Q&A with the blind waitstaff, as well as live music performed by Rosh & The One Eye Glass Broken Orchestra. The exact menu has not been set, but diners can expect a vegetarian meal that includes an assortment of fruits, cheese and local wines from Winestock SF.

While it's bringing in some of its outside talent to lead the event — including speakers Richie Flores, president of the National Federation for the Blind and blind spoken word artist Rick Hammond — it's sourcing much of its staff and volunteers locally.

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